Celebrating another year of connecting creators and their real fans

We’re at that time of the year when celebration and reflection are at the top of everyone’s list. Allow us some introspection.

We started 2024 following a massive transformation in our business, including the introduction of free memberships, shops, community chats, our redesigned mobile app, and an entirely refreshed brand. This year, we’ve continued our shift from a memberships platform to a media, community, and business platform for creators.

Let’s take a look at some of this year’s wins powered by Patreon creators and their fans.

Creators evolved how they earn

Since Patreon launched in 2013, Creators have generated more than $8 billion in revenue while running everything from small businesses to media empires. Just like any other business owner, creators understand the importance of diversifying their income, without sacrificing their direct relationship to their fans.

While there are more than 10 million fans paying for memberships each month to get exclusive access to their top creators’ works and communities, creators and fans explored more ways to engage beyond membership.

Fans like having more flexibility in how they support their favorite creators. Compared to last year, monthly revenue from one-time purchases has increased by 4X. With creators now being able to sell existing work as one-time purchases, in addition to selling new digital products, it became easier to earn from their back catalog instead of always needing to create new works.

We didn't just see changes in how creators are earning on Patreon, but in the type of creators who came onto our platform. The changing digital media landscape brought on more creators seeking creative control and the independence to make what inspires them and their fans.

After twenty one years, Warner Brothers made the decision to shut down the Austin entertainment firm Rooster Teeth. Some of the creative entities rebranded and were welcomed to Patreon across 100% Eat, Tales from the Stinky Dragon, Red Web, Regulation Podcast, and Goodmorning from Hell.

Former tech video producer and creator Becca Farsace joined Patreon, where she celebrates the fact that she has more ownership and the ability to build her own community. Vox Media’s Secret Base launched a Patreon to build an exclusive community where they can “create for the sake of creating,” experiment, and interact with over 13,000 of their subscribers.

Top creators also found new ways to expand their businesses on the platform. Patreon creators Trisha Paytas and Tana Mongeau, who have thriving online communities separately, launched a mutual membership for their new property Not Loveline. Zane and Heath: UNFILTERED, who already offer ad-free episodes and more to their community on Patreon, launched Basically Unfiltered, a new property in partnership with the hosts of the Pretty Basic podcast.

Patreon’s network effect fueled fandoms

More than 60% of people who sign up for a creator's Patreon, and more than half of a creator's revenue on average, come from within the Patreon fan network. Creators who join know they're reaching an audience that’s ready to pay for exclusive content and deeper connections. We built on that with our newer discovery tools like our Explore tab, creator recommendations, autopilot, and gifting, which are already sending millions of dollars to creators.

In June 2024, we announced that we'd reached 30 million free memberships. Already, that number has doubled to more than 60 million free memberships on Patreon. And this year, we worked to make more experiences and media available to free members so that they could participate in the Patreon community.

We know that the key to a sustainable creator business is in inspiring and energizing fans. More creators are turning to experiences like chats and drops to build excitement and engagement with their communities. Compared to last year, there are 5X as many creators who have started a community chat, and creators used Drops to release over 40,000 exclusive podcast episodes, comedy specials, new music, and more.

Comedian KevOnStage recorded his Los Angeles comedy special exclusively on his Patreon shop, which was his highest grossing project to date, generating over 1,000 sales. Escuela de Nada released a documentary on their global podcast tour where they performed for over 35,000 people in eighteen months. As the tour wrapped, they released the documentary on their Patreon shop, which nearly doubled their monthly earnings within a month.

While we have millions of fans with active paid memberships, those who weren’t ready to sign up for a monthly membership tested the waters with smaller commitments like one-time purchases or gifts. Now, over 400,000 free memberships turn into paid memberships each month.

Exclusive experiences powered online communities

This year, Patreon exclusive experiences brought together hundreds of fans to connect with their favorite creators IRL and online. That was especially true for the podcasters on Patreon— who are continuing to see impressive growth. At SXSW 2024, on our Patreon Soundstage, we hosted over 1,000 fans for live podcast recordings with Sibling Rivalry and RedHanded as well as a special collaboration with Bad Friends and The Basement Yard.

Our intimate fan experience with Shannon Beveridge in Los Angeles had over 100 fans attend a live recording of her exes and o’s podcast. Over a hundred fashion enthusiasts congregated in New York City to experience a first-ever live Q&A with The Cutting Room Floor’s Recho Omondi.

In 2024, we were able to offer over 100,000 fans the ability to experience art from their favorite comedians, artists and podcasters exclusively on Moment by Patreon. Some of our favorites include Eric Clapton’s intimate concert filmed in London, Weezer’s Voyage to the Blue Planet tour live from TD Garden, the first-ever live Murder, Mystery and Make Up show, Watch What Crappens’ annual award show The Golden Crappies and Russell Peters’ Act Your Age comedy special.

Our very first billboard in New York City’s Times Square promoted our amazing creators this November and December. In two months, we’ve featured twenty six creators and made noise by promoting a fun campaign called “Your Creativity Belongs Here” where creators are given the opportunity to submit work for a chance to be featured on the billboard. Creators were thrilled to see themselves in the heart of Times Square, and even celebrated with their fans in exclusive meet up experiences like 2 Black Girls, 1 Rose and Gunnar Deatherage did. We are excited to extend this magic into 2025.

Thank you to the more than 300,000 creators who come to Patreon to earn meaningful income and power their businesses and the millions of fans who have helped cultivate communities like nothing else online.

We can’t wait to keep building a better version of the internet with you all.